Thread guide for winding machines



L. T. HOUGHTON THREAD GUIDE FOR WINDING MACHINES Filed Feb; 9, 1924 Patented Jan. 13, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS T. HOUGHTON, T5 WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

THREAD GUIDE FOR WINDING .MACHINES.

Application filed February 19, 1924. Serial No/693,906.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Lnwis T. HoUsiiToN,

a. citizen of the United States, residing at lVo-rcester, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented a right angles to the length of the tube without any support or flanges. It is necessary that the guide slrould hold the thread close- 1y to prevent sidewise movement and lay the threads in place. If the thread is held properly by the guide, the ends of the package are build upstraight and square. When the guide becomes worn or grooved so the ends. The passage of the thread through the guide cuts and grooves the guide in a short time and it is thrown away. With the sized or glazed thread, the grooving is a matter of weeks. I

An object of this invention is to form a guide with a minimum finished surface be. tween the guide and threadpackage WlthOHt vi expensive machining or cutting away of;

useless surface and its finishing. This finished surface in this invention is determined by the thickness of the material the guide is made of.

4 The principal object of this invention is to revise the manufacture of these guides in such a way that they can be made with out the expensive finishing operations that have to be used in making the guides in.

present use, so that the inner surfaces of the ii-shaped gu ding grooves can be rapidly and inexpensively made on the blank, and there will be no necessity whatever of perfoi'n'iing any finishing operations in the V 59 itself after the-V is formed. This is an 6X tremely important feature because the inaking and finishing of the present day guide is very expensive, and I am able toproduoe CJi cost.

that the thread is not held in. place, it results in an imperfect package, especially at guides in this way at a greatly reducedv v y on the ad o1ning thread so as to displace it,

Another important feature of the invention consists in making the guide reversible, which is particularly easy in connection with. the form of guide that I use, and in keeping the entering thread out of Contact with the alternate or reverse face of the guide at all times, so that only one face is worn at a time by the passage of the thread When the delivery side of the guide is grooved so that it cannot be used any longer the guide can be reversed and the other unwo-rn side used. This doubles the life of the guide and halves the first cost of a single guide.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. l is an elevation of the traverse mechanism and tube support fora winding machine with a holder and thread guide constructed in accordance with this invention located'thereon;

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same; Fig. 3 is a plan of a part of it; Fig. L is a front view of the topof the holder and 1 guide; Fig. 5 is a side view similar to Fig. 2 showing the thread coming in from below instead of above asin Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an edge view of a blank of metal from which the thread guide is to be made;

and I a Fig. 7 is a transver e sectional View thereof.

In the process of tubing th read, a V- shaped slot for guiding the thread has proved. to be the most satisfactory. These V slots aremachined from a solid piece. They are very expensive to make, especially the finishing of the V-slot or thread path. As thethread leaves the guide slot it passes between the guide face and the *tubeor thread package and is wound on the tube. The thread is pressed against the tubefby the guide with suflicient force to form a hard package, also to prevent any sidewisexmovementof the thread by the traverse movement of the guide as it passes from end to endof the package. It is also desirablethat only a minimum surface of guide should bear on the thread as it leaves the V'slotto press the thread against the tube. For this reason the surface of the guide is rounded off on'its front surface, thereby preventing the guide from bearing especially when the guide is at the ends of the tube, and cause an imperfect or rounded end of'the thread package instead of a straight square end that is desired. "The thread will eventually :cut and groove'the guide so that the thread is not pressed against the tube with' the desired force. When this occurs, a new guide must be installed. As this groovingis inevitable and fre uent it causes a great expense.

y device is 1 made without expensive machiningand polishing and is quiekly replaced or reversed asmay be. *As'thisV id l b nufactured and installed finished surface ofthe steel and no parallel for A; of the present-cost it results a greatsaving.

*Wilith the old "V-shaped guide, when the angle of the" V is asacuteas'is required,

the operation of forming'theV angle is quite expensive and to give it the necessary surface finish without enlarging the delivery slot, adds very-materially to the expense of iuanufacture. In fact, heretofore, this V slot could notbe made with a sufliciently acute angle. TheVslot for the thread must he as narrow at the trough oftl1e'V--as-;posslblG so that the sidewise motion of the guide froinend to endof thetube cannot materially change the position of the thread as it is laid on the tube.

In tubing thread itis delivered to the guide from below or above according to the package of thread that is to'be tubed. When the'thread-is deliveredfrom above the present practice requires a special guide of greater cost The guideas shown and describedin this'speci-fication, tubes the thread from above or below without any change or adjustment.

"I overcome some of these diflicultiesmentioned by making my V guide of a stri A of metal -with rounded edges and'finis ed all over in the process of manufacture. This long strip is'bent by bendingdies into the V shape. As these are not cutting dies theydo not spoil the previously finished surface orroughen it in anyway. "They also'make I all-theguides uniform and accurate. Therefore the rounded edge surface that presses the-thread against the tubeor package can be made of a minimum extent and the V can be formed in a very acute shapeso'that the 'thread is-prevented from being forced out of position atthe ends of the tube and can be "laid accurately, thus producing a square ended tube as stated. Furthermore, the surfaceth-at presses ont-hetube maybe predetermined by the thickness of the'steel blank before it is bent or forged. This contributesto the same result. It-is obvious that the wearingof the guide will eventually allow side movement of "the thread and its lateral displacement. *Thereforeno anattcr how made these guides must be replaced as theybecome worn which constiis eliminated.

faces parallel with each other. faces are not distorted in that respect when the Vis'formed as the stip is forced into the V shape while cold.

referred to.

the'guide at. the proper elevation. it is another rod 18 supported preferably by tutes a great expense. A guide lasts only a few weeks. In my guidepthe-c'old forged :dition and with their final finish before forging. Thus the minimum surface presses thethreadon the tube and all the expense of polishing or finishing a machined V guide -The only finishing I do is that obtained in a tumbling barrel. I also save the stock lost in machining aV'guide,

that-is,'turning or milling it.

The cold forgingdoes not roughen the grooves and ridges areleft onit aswould of sheet metal by cutting dies. also, as stated, the finish that would be required in thatcaseis eliminated. I makethe'V guide of the'previously rol'ledstock having in'it-s or ginal orblank condition its opposite sur- These sur- 'i prefer toapply my invention tothe usual mechanism for traversing the thread back and'forth to wmd 1t on a tube T or the above I have shown the usual'traverse rod 10 atthe bottom of the traverse like to form the thread package P T he holder has a clip lel transverse frame 11.

l form the holder 12 with its front side shown in Fig. l a? good deal of the ordinary shape, except that the upper ends 15 of the :holder extend up parallel with each other to the-top of it.

'l 'hemain body of the holder is provided with two opposite but dissimilar wings 16 and 16 which are bent back fromrthese ends 15 parallel with each other. A. bolt L7 is located at the rear through these wings and screws into one of them so as to hold then'i firmly together. This belt, of coi'lrse. has a smooth surface and it has a definitclocation as will appear. It is designed to perform the above mentioned'object and to guide the thread into Behind the wing 16 and located parallel with the boltl'? and spaced a little behind it and below it. 'This is designed to "cceive the thread as shown'in 2 as it comes down from above and force it into contact with the upper surface of the bolt 17 and direct it into the guide.

The top edges of the two wings are provided with similar projections dove-tails.

or other meansl-Jfor engaging similar slots or grooves in the ends 21 of the guide and fore, especially by reference to Fig. 3 that by tightening up the bolt 17 the guide 20 is clamped firmly to the two wings or rather the projections 19.

When the wear gets deep enough so that the guide has to be removed I unscrew the bolt 17 so as to release the guide, pull the guide out of its place on the holder, reverse it and put it back again and then screw up the bolt. This reversal, of course, doubles the life of the guide. By placing the bolt 17 in the position shown, the thread is kept from wearing the rear portion of the guide at all times, so that when the guide is reversed the surface that is used as a guiding surface is entirely fresh and unworn and ungrooved in any way. The thread can be brought; to this guide either from below as shown in Fig. 5 or fron'i above as shown in Fig. 2.

The ordinary V-shaped guides used in tubing have circular convex surfaces for engaging the tube or package and the V is cutin this. The delivery of the yarn therefore is at the point where the inclined sides of the V-shaped groove meet. This point of meeting projects beyond the rest of the convex surface of the guide. and receives and sustains the entire pressure of the tube or package against the guide as the yarn moves from end to end of the package. This pressure rolls or pushesv the yarn forward beyond its correct vertical position on account of the fact that the delivery and pressure points are the same.

By referring especially to Figs. 3 and 5 it will be seen that in my case two points on the rounded edges of the guide and at opposite sides of the V portion hear on the tube T. However when one layer of thread has been wound on the tube to form the package it will be understood that in advance of the guide there is a slight clearance equal. to the thickness of the thread, The bearing point at the side of the guide which rests on the thread that has just been laid necessarily holds the opposite point away from the package a. distance equal to the thickness of the thread. There is always one more thread or layer of thread on one side of the guide than on the other and this necessitates the bearing on the thread of the point at one side of the V and the spacing from the thread of the corresponding point on the other side of the V. On this account the liability of the guide forcing the end lavers of varnout of position at the end of the tube overcome. The forward side of the guide which might do that is not actually in contact with the thread. As the guide comes back along the package in the other direction. the bearing point on the inner edge of the guide which previously rested on the thread now is in advance of the thread and it is the other side which receives the pressure so that the conditions are the same except that the bearing point reversed. The side of the V guide at the rear is always the one to bear on the thread and apply pressure to it to \vipeit forward on the tube and hold it in position. This results in more even laying of the thread and removes the possibility of forcing the thread out of position especially at the end of the tube which would cause unevenness in the vertical face of the tube.

' The alternating points of engagement with the package provided by this device as described above are of special importance. The support or bearing point of the guide against the tube is placed on one side of the V and then on the other as the direction of travel changes. Heretofore this point has always been central and it was always the same in both directions of travel. In this case the point of support is always back or toward the center of the tube. Heretofore the pressure has always been the same at the end of the tube or package as it is elsewhere along it but in this invention the pressure is released from the yarn as it is laid at either end of the package so there no pressure on the-last thread to roll it over the vertical face of the tube, thus the yarn is not only applied on the tube just where itis designed to be but all tendency to force it over at the end and spoil the flat surface of the end of the package is eliminated.

It is to be noticed also that this cold forged guide has its two bearing points on opposite sides of the yarn in a vertical plane which plane is geometrically tangent to the circumference of the package or tube. This prevents the traverse motion forcing the thread side-ways in either direction and in sures positive delivery of the yarn to the tube in the same vertical plane at each turn of the traverse. These two surfaces are never bearing on the yarn package at the same time and wear on each is half what it has been in. the old forms and the life is doubled.

In all the previous cases with which I am familiar the yarn is drawn through the guide slot from one side to the other in a horizontal direction substantially radially with respect to the yarn package. Therefore the thread comes toward the package in a radial direction and then suddenly turns off at right angles at the trough of the V guide in the old forms. There is only one point at which it can leave the guide and enter the package.

In this invention the yarn path is exactly shown in Fig. The yarn does not come at the package in a radial direction but comes from above. I find in practice that this gives a smooth finish to the yarn.

Many (lOVlCP/S have been made to obtain a smooth finish, even waxing the yar has Iii :beentried and isnow usedto a considerable extent. I secure this result without additional mechanism merely byintroducing the yarn at an obtuse angle or on a tangent and it accomplishes thepurpose better and withedge thewfibres on the yarn are necessarily raised on the convex or. outer side. The object of the construction now uinlerdiscussion to give the yarn a nioreobtuse angle to turn about and therefore the fibres will not be raised and the thread comes through in a smooth condition.

the old forms of guide to avoidbending the yarn about a right angle corner at the point of delivery and thus raising the "fibres on the yarn and roughing it up.

V hen soft yarn is t nbed or wound turning a right angle in its path the'short fibres rise on the outer or convex side of the bend leaving the yarn rougl'i and shaggy. lVhen a straight path is maintained these fibres do notliave any occasion to rise away from the yarn and the frictional engagement with the vertical sides of the guide smooths the fibres and imparts a real. finish to the yarn impossible to obtain with other guides even by the use of wax. lt has been found in practice that. the finish is better on this machine than the wax finish on the ordinary machines on the market.

In this guide, the delivery point receives the pressure of the tube, relieving the yarn from the tension that is encountered in drawing the yarn over a bearing surface under pressure. 'This relieves thepressure at this point and permits the regulating of the tension at another point and does not raise the yarn fibres on the convex side of the yarn.

the V at one side is wider than that at the other so that when itis reversed it will be suited for a change in size of thread.

1 have not described the means for holding the holder and guide up against the package as that is wellv known in this art, nor have I shown the means for traversing the traverse bar or rotating the spindle as this invention does not relate to those features and can be employed with any variety of these devices.

rilthough I have illustrated and described only a single form of theinvention l ainaware of the fact that modifications can be llltldQqtllQl'Blll by any person skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention expressed in the claims. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to all theidetails ofconstruction or the exact it is impossible in i If desired my guide can bebent so that prising a bar of metal of requisite shape. size and'finish having a V shape with the angle thereof extending across the-bar in the direction of its width to provide two fiat surfaces converging to form a guide for the thread, whereby the surfaces of the guide are'left in their Ol'lglntll'filllSllQd condition and do not require any mechanical finishing thereon.

2. As-an article of manufacture, a thread guide for tubing consisting of a fiat bar of metal having V shaped form with the troughof the V having a material width and located at a distance from the end of the bar toprovide a thread guide passage and left with its walls of uniformthickness.

3. As an article of manufacture, a thread guide for the purpose described formed from a bar ofsinoothsurfaced metal, one original external smooth surface of'said' bar of metal constituting two co-operating and converging fiat surfaces for guiding the thread between them.

4. As an article of manufacture, a thread guide for the purpose described formed from a piece of smooth surfaced metal, the metal having a substantial breadth being shaped into a V-form to constitute the guiding groove having convergingsurfaces of the breadth of the original piece of metal for receiving the thread against them, said surfaces retaining the'finish and smoothness of the original blank.

5. As an article of manufacture, a thread guiding device for tubing thread comprising a guide holder and a guide for the thread mounted thereonand formedof abar of flat stock bent transversely into V-shape to provide a guiding means for the thread.

6. As an article of manufacture, a guiding device for winding tubing packages comprising aguide holder and a guide thereon consisting of a piece of metal originally formed in a wide flat strip round at the edges, the flat surfaces and convex edges receiving their finish in the process of manufacture, said strip being formed of the desired length and being bent into ii-shape to provide a guide having wide finished interior surfaces without necessitating any machining operation.

7. As an article of manufacture, a guidingmeans for thread formed from a strip of metal having a finish on its sides and edges and in thecform of a V-shaped guide having a trough of substantial width for receiving the'thread, whereby the surfaces of the interior of the V are left smooth in the process of manufacture and do not have to be finished after the- V is formed.

8. As an article ofmanufacture, a thread guiding device comprising a holder adapted to be carried with the traverse bar of a winding machine. and operated thereby and provided with a pair of opposite walls perpendicular to the front of the holder, and a thread guide consisting of a piece of flat stock of V-shape and having its front and rear edges spaced apart and its opposite ends detachably connected with the sides of the holder, whereby said guide can be taken off and reversed and secured back with the other edge in operative position.

9. As an article of manufacture, a thread guiding device for tubing thread comprising a holder and a thread guide having at opposite edges two thread guiding surfaces at a material distance apart detachably mounted on the holder and reversible end to end on the holder to provide a new guiding surface.

10. As an article of manufacture, a V- shaped thread guide reversible edge to edge to provide a new guiding surface, and means for guiding the thread into the. guide in such position that there is a long surface of the guide under the thread which it does not engage, whereby when the guide is reversed the new point of delivery will have a fresh unworn surface.

11. As an article of manufacture, a thread guiding device of V shape for tubing thread comprising a holder and a thread guide detachably mounted thereon and reversible end to end on the holder to provide a new guiding surface, and means carried by said holder for guiding the thread into the guide in such position that it does not engage the trough of the. V except adjoining the point of delivery of the thread and leaves the larger part of the V shaped groove unworn, whereby when the guide is reversed the new point of delivery will have a fresh unworn surface.

12. In a thread guiding device for winding thread on a tube, the combination of a holder adapted to be carried by the traverse bar, a thread guide detachably and reversibly mounted on the holder and having walls of uniform thickness and of V-shape, and rod across the holder at the entrance side of the V for leading the thread out of contact with the bottom of the trough of the V when it enters the guide. whereby the guide may be taken off and reversed and the new guiding surface at the delivery end of the guide will be fresh and unworn.

13. In a thread guide of the class described, the combination of a holder, a guide carried by the holder consisting of a bar of metal of uniform thickness throughout of a shape to furnish a V guide at a distance from the ends thereof, and means on the holder for lifting the thread out of contact with the bottom of the trough of the V as it enters the guide, whereby the sides of the V will guide the thread down into the trough at the delivery side of the guide and prevent its displacement therefrom.

14, In a thread guiding device of the class described, the combination of a holder having a rear surface adapted to be received against the front of the traverse frame and provided with two transverse wings extending backwardly therefrom parallel with each other, a V shaped thread guide formed of metal stock of uniform thickness detachably connected with the upper sides of said rings and resting thereon, a rod carried by said wings and extending across the rear of the V guide and projecting above the bottom of the trough thereof to keep the thread out of the bottom of the trough at the entrance side of the guide, and a bar supportedby one of said wings and extending beyond the other for receiving the thread under it to guide it over the rod.

15. In a thread guiding device of the class described, the combination of a holder having a rear surface adapted to be received against the front of the traverse frame and provided with two transverse wings extending backwardly therefrom parallel with each other, a V shaped thread guide formed of metal stock of uniform thickness detachably connected with the upper sides of said wings and resting thereon and a rod carried by said wings and extending across the rear of the V guide and projecting above the bottom of the trough thereof to keep the thread out of the bottom of the trough at the entrance side of the guide, and constituting clamping means between the two wings to adjust them with respect to each other and hold them in position clamped against the guide to hold it in position.

16. In a thread guiding device of the class described, the combination of a V-shaped thread guide of uniform thickness, and a rod extending across the rear of the V-guide and projecting above the bottom of the trough thereof to keep the thread out of the bottom of the trough at the entrance side of the guide.

17. In a thread guiding device of the class described, the combination of a. V shaped thread guide, a rod extending across the rear of the V guide and projecting above the bottom of the trough thereof to keep the thread out of the bottom of the trough at the entrance side of the guide, and a bar extending beyond the other for receiving the thread under it to guide it over the first named bar.

18. In a thread guiding device of the class described, the combination with a V-shaped guide having wide slanting surfaces converging to the trough of the V and adapted to engage the yarn package on its edge, and means for guiding the yarn into the guide at such an angle that the yarn will not touch the trough of the V back of the delivery point and will engage the V along the sides of the trough it at all and will come into contact with the yarn package over a surface of the guide at one side of the l.

19. As an article oi manufacture, a yarn guide comprising a V-shapedpiece of metal having a rounded edge onthe delivery end thereby providing a semi-circular convex path over which the yarn passes in direct contact with the package on which it is being wound so that the point of delivery of the yarn to the package under traverse motion is at one side of the trough of the V instead oi at the trough.

20. A guide for tubingor \vindingyarn having two separated convex supporting surfaces at its sides in the same plane for holding the yarn against the package and means for holding the yarn out of contact with the bottom of the guide back of said plane.

21. A yarn guide having convex edges in position for alternating in support of the yarn package during the traverse motion so that the forward edge is always held away from the yarn package, thereby relieving the end strands of the yarn on the package from pressure.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiixed my signature.

LEVIS T. HOUGHTON. 

